On 28 October 2025, the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its first public hearing into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2023–24 since the inquiry was re-adopted in the 48th Parliament.
The Subcommittee will hear evidence from the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and the Lowy Institute regarding several of the inquiry's key focus areas:
- Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities
- AUKUS
- Progress on the transformation to an integrated focused force
- Australian international defence cooperation and competition
The Chair of the Defence Subcommittee, Senator Deborah O'Neill, said 'Given the ongoing relevance and clear public interest in the issues, the Defence Subcommittee has re-adopted the inquiry as an important transparency mechanism for the Parliament to review Defence progress in a number of critical areas.'
'The Subcommittee is now looking to deepen inquiry evidence by talking to relevant industry and strategic experts to support Subcommittee inquiry outcomes.'
Further information, including the full Terms of Reference, is available on the inquiry webpage.
Public Hearing Details
Date: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
Time: 5.40pm–7.30pm (AEDT)
Location: Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra
The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.
